London by Leica

As an unexpected by-product of experimenting with the Leica M9, I discovered my affinity for photographing architecture with the rangefinder camera. Although it does not have tilt-shift, and I rarely use a tripod, I find the following vistas striking... it kindof suits me - using a camera for what it was NOT designed for...

The Leica Files II

As part of my 'get to know the M9' efforts, I have chosen to re-shoot the major scenes from my Empty London book project. For starters, I would give me a relatively controlled environment in which to experiment with the camera, and secondly, I'd already know what kind of pictures I want. 


So over the course of a couple of weeks late last year, I ventured into town in regular intervals, armed with the M9 and a couple of prints from my book. To my (perhaps naive) surprise, I'd found that the city had changed. Houses had disappeared, new highrises had risen in places, railings were missing and roads had changed in layout and direction.

Anyway, since this was a reshoot, and I was aiming to show the 'new' pictures as historical records, taken with a Leica and aged with the help of a sepia filter,  they would contrast nicely with those taken for the book with various Canon cameras several years ago. It would also bring the additional benefit of comparison between the quality of Leica and Canon optics used. The results, I think, speak for themselves...now let's hope Leica Magazine agree and decide to publish.

Pasta Swooshing

Hopefully still topical and resonating with silly Christmas and New Years Eve party moods, some of my good friends in Switzerland decided to go retro and re-create a rather funny 1948 photograph from the Bettman/Corbis collection.

So we lined up a large table, cooked pasta, the girls got styled & dressed, and then it was showtime. Well, what can I say? It got messy...

Pheasant Shooting

A few days before Christmas, I ventured a few hours north of London to Belvoir Castle on the invitation of the Duke and Dutchess of Rutland to participate in a day of driven pheasant and partridge shooting. Arguably, it's one of the most luxurious ways in which guns can enjoy a day of shooting, provided they have the necessary pocket money and bookings are available.

Although field sports are not my cup of tea, and I don't shoot anything unless there's a camera involved, the day with the guns, beaters and pickers up was educational and most of all, quite photogenic - so my newspaper client was happy. Only later did I learn that in the UK, over 35 million pheasants and 6.5 million partridges are produced to be used as game birds for sport each year.

The Leica Files I

The good folks at LFI Magazine in Germany have made me an offer I couldn't refuse: the loan of their Leica M9 full-frame digital rangefinder camera plus the use of three of their finest lenses - the 21/2.8 Elmarit-M, the 35/1.4 Summilux-M and the 90/2.0 APO-Summicron-M ASPH. In total it is about 20000 US$ worth of kit which they have entrusted me with.


Whilst I am getting familiar with this camera, the differences to my trusted Canon EOS kit could not be greater: the Leica is manual focus, centre-average metering only, with a simple but slightly cumbersome settings menu on the back, a small buffer for shooting series of images, and a maximum burst rate of 2 frames/second. But it is - if you compare it to watches - like wearing a Rolex after you've grown up with a Casio.


In a single word, the optical quality of the Leica lenses is superior. Period. I don't have the time or the space to go into elaborate comparisons, highlight examples of its image quality in tiny image crops enlarged to 100% or otherwise list the Leica's many fine qualities - there are other places for that (such as DP Review, Luminous Landscape, Ken Rockwell, Digital Journalist and many others.

Instead, I feel compelled to talk a little bit about how this camera feels, how it makes you respond to everyday scenes on the street, and how the images look. Given its classic Leica rangefinder design, the all-metal camera is both lighter and smaller than its SLR cousins. The manual focusing system does not lend itself to point-and-shoot actions, which means you generally have to think more about your focus, exposure and composition before pressing the shutter. In short, it is not a camera for beginners, but it makes you take different pictures (especially if you're used to shooting with SLRs).


I have now completed post-production of the first 100-odd images selected from my various trips into central London, and the results blew me away! Whilst the images are of everyday things in London, their technical quality is outstanding. The optics allow for even sharpness from the centre into the corners, vignetting and distortion is negligible and needs to be added in post-production if desired. Despite their overall sharpness, each of the lenses shows a wonderfully creamy bokeh in the out-of-focus areas that gives photos their signature 'Leica' look.

Colours are fairly neutral, reds need to be subdued a bit, and overall contrast is moderate - that means you can add a punch at the processing stage without wrecking the shadows or highlights. Even at high ISO settings, there is no discernible noise in the images - whatever noise there is, it looks like film grain and adds some grit to those night-time pictures.

I could go on and on, but think it best to add a part II to the Leica Files at a later stage, and let you see some of the images for yourself below:

Tarnished Earth opens in Sheffield

Tarnished Earth exhibition opens at The Moor in Sheffield. More details here.

Fiesta - a documentary by Bjoern Goettlicher

Last week, my friend and fellow photographer Bjoern Goettlicher published his latest documentary project: Fiesta. It's a show-stopping take on a small local celebration involving a bull, a ring and some fire. Although bullfighting has been abolished in Catalonia, this particular community is attempting to have their traditional fiesta recognised by UNESCO.

Anthropologist Alberto de Jesus Rodriguez explains the controversial nature and symbolism of bulls and their role in Iberian culture. Like it or hate it, this fiesta is a firm part of the rural fabric and the story is wonderfully told and shot. 


Subtitles are only in German so far, but an English version is scheduled for release soon.



Fiesta, by Björn Göttlicher from Björn Göttlicher on Vimeo.

Rainbow Warrior III in London

Yesterday afternoon I met her for the first time: I'd seen plenty of pictures, heard some stories, met some of the extraordinary people who had built her and talked to some of those who sail her. We are of course talking about the new Greenpeace flagship, the Rainbow Warrior III.

The ship is currently on its maiden voyage which started in Hamburg to Amsterdam, from where she sailed to London. The next stops will take her to Stockholm, Barcelona and Marseille before she crosses the pond and visits the USA early next year.

To celebrate the occasion, Greenpeace UK organised a concert by Damon Albarn and Clash founder Paul Simonon’s band The Good, The Bad and The Queen which was performed on the heli-deck of the vessel. Needless to say, it was a memorable occasion and I am glad to have been there.

David Shairp interview

I've barely arrived back in London and the phone rings: "Erm, we hope you're in London... you see, this morning there is an interview, and we forgot to book a photographer...

Sound familiar? Well, welcome to my world. So of course you drop whatever you had planned for the day, forget breakfast, actually forget the shower too whilst you're at it. Get your gear, check batteries, take some spares, and off you go. Rush rush rush so that you can wait at the destination.

Once I made it to JP Morgan Asset Management, I was treated to some coffee and a wait for David Shairp whose schedule was running about 20 minutes late all day. Nevermind. Once we all got into the room, I told him to just 'ignore' me, as we were after candid portraits for the article. Mr Shairp seemed somewhat perplexed by my request, but after the initial flashes during set-up, he settled into the interview just fine... The meagre pickings of a half-hour interview you can view below:

Tarnished Earth exhibition opens in Douglas

The Tarnished Earth exhibition opens in Douglas on the Isle of Man. More details here.

There's a nice article that appeared concurrently in the Isle of Man Today newspaper.

Autumn and Vysocina colours

Folks, whilst away in the Czech Republic, I was treated to one of nature's best annual spectacles: its transformation from green to a wide gamut of autumn hues... It lasts only a few days, a week perhaps, and after  the first frosts, the leaves start falling and announce the impeding winter season.

So we took the opportunity to roam through harvested fields and deserted forests and captured only a small glimpse of what the Vysocina region has to offer. I am sure I will be back for more in the not-too-distant future.

Tarnished Earth exhibition moves to Swansea

The Tarnished Earth exhibition moves to Swansea at the National Waterfront Museum. More details here.

Designer Kitchen

My friends at Properform Builders asked me for a favour: to shoot a recently finished bespoke designer kitchen they put together for a private client in Islington, London. Since I love design in general, and kitchens in particular, it was an easy choice. Whilst I do not regularly shoot stylish interiors for glossy magazines, this was a nice opportunity to experiment with light, angles and lenses.

Stunning I'd call the kitchen ;-)

Blokes in Uniform II

Ok folks, last time it was real uniforms in Eastern Europe, now it's time for some sci-fi fantasy in Scotland. My esteemed colleagues at Greenpeace have been at it again: this time, dressed as Stormtroopers they paid a visit to a VW dealership in Glasgow. They are aiming to nudge the giant car company towards abandoning their lobbying efforts against climate legislation. Their campaign "Volkswagen - The Dark Side" is a humorous twist on the original successful VW ad invoking 'The Force'.

Well, visually, you really can't go much wrong with this kind of outfit...

Blokes in Uniform

I happened to be in the village of Nedvezi in the central part of the Czech Republic when the local volunteer fire crews were having an unprecedented bash: the were commemorating the 120th year of their founding with parades, marching and inevitably, lots of beer.

Having never had an event like this before, tension, apprehension and excitement were predictably high in the small village - they had been planning this for a good year or so: would all go to plan, would the weather co-operate, how many people would come?

In the end, it rained, but it didn't matter - the uniforms were out, the guys were proud, beer was flowing freely and a good time was had by all. Some highlights here:

Canada Tarsands reportage projection at Visa Pour L'Image

Last week saw a new highlight in the marathon publicity-campaign against the tarsands industry. At the world renowned Visa Pour L'Image photofestival, my reportage was shown during a nightly projection at Campo Santo.

Need I say it? The recognition for this story is tremendous, especially since the edit did not show the rather typical 'up close and personal' view of victims of various natural and man-made disasters. Instead, the editors focused on the large-scale aerial images, those that convey a sense of the dimensions and magnitude of destruction that is happening in northern Alberta. The viewer was left to imagine what this means for people on the ground, rather than being spoon-fed the 'classic' photojournalism genre. Bravo and many thanks to the organisers at Visa - I am honoured and grateful.

My friend and colleague Bjoern Goettlicher was kind enough to record the screening, and it is reposted here with his permission.


Jiri Rezac Slideshow at Visa from Björn Göttlicher on Vimeo.

Tarnished Earth Exhibition moves to Edinburgh

The Tarnished Earth exhibition with my photos from the Canadian tarsands will be on public view in Edinburgh from September 1st. More details here.

Busy with Poppies

No folks, this isn't Afghanistan. And no, I was in no mortal danger when taking pictures of these poppies - and neither was I under the influence of any illicit substances in general, and opium in particular. We simply happened to drive past them in the Czech countryside during the summer holidays. Although I knew of poppy being grown here, I had no idea that the Czech Republic is the world leader in poppy seed production, with around 50000 tons, or over 50% of global output.

Thus these fields are pretty common, unguarded and frankly, quite unspectacular once the red petals finish blooming. Nevertheless, I had my trusty G10 with me, and couldn't resist taking a few images.

Canada Tarsands reportage to be shown at Visa Pour L'Image in Perpignan

after having just returned to London, I have learned that on Tuesday, the 30th August, my reportage of Canada's Tarsands will be shown during an evening projection at Visa Pour L'Image photojournalism festival in Perpignan, France. Thanks to my French agents Rea who submitted the images, I am surprised and  immensely humbled at the recognition this story continues to receive. A small preview of the main images, as featured in the travelling  Tarnished Earth open-air exhibition are displayed below.

Tarnished Earth Exhibition moves to Northampton

The Tarnished Earth exhibition with my photos from the Canadian tarsands will be on public view in Northampton from August 1st. More details here. A good, punchy article was published in The Northampton Chronicle.

Tarnished Earth Exhibition moves to Cardiff

The Tarnished Earth exhibition with my photos from the Canadian tarsands will be on public view in Cardiff from July 1st. More details here. The exhibition coincides with the Cardiff Festival and is promoted here, here and here.

Tarnished Earth Exhibition moves to Plymouth

The Tarnished Earth exhibition with my photos from the Canadian tarsands will be on public view in Plymouth from June 8th. More details here. An accompanying article was published in 'This is Devon' today.

Polar Bear - Take II

It is extremely rare to be granted the opportunity for a reshoot - say you messed up a portrait shoot of a CEO, politician or artist: you grovel, apologise, plead or beg but hopefully manage to get another 5 minutes with the big man. When it comes to shooting wildlife, there is no talking, and usually no second chances.


Cue young polar bear who strolled up to our ship yesterday evening, a day after we first encountered him a few miles back in the ice. He sniffed and hung around for a bit, hoping to scavenge something edible - whether that would be some scraps or a full-sized human, we'll probably never know. All the while the bear was calm, quiet, even slow in his movements but with a clearly discernible purpose to feed himself. After about half an hour the whole thing started to feel more like a portrait session: the bear was pacing up and down in front of our ship before finally getting bored and strolling into the distance on the ice. By that point, I had taken literally hundreds of frames, and here's a small selection of my favourites.

The Polar Bear and the Navy

Last night we had an encounter with a young Polar Bear in the sea ice off the Canadian coast. It was feasting on a seal carcass as we sailed past, closely followed by a Danish Navy patrol ship that has been on our tail since 18 Greenpeace activists boaded the Cairn Energy drill rig Leiv Eiriksson a few days ago.

As we moved forwards, the polar bear and the navy ship's paths aligned, making for some pretty amazing pictures. Just as the navy ship appeared to be on a collision course with the animal, Pete Bouquet, our captain on the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise called the Danish ship to 'mind the polar bear'. They responded by thanking him and altering course, thus avoiding a disturbing encounter with the bear.

I was pretty excited by this: these images bring together two opposing symbols: the polar bear for climate change, and the navy ship representing the military-industrial complex that is encroaching on the Arctic. I do hope these will become iconic, as I feel that these images have a symbolic, timeless value in illustrating the conflict between modern civilisation and nature.

Anyway, rant over, enjoy the images below - a full set is viewable here.

Rocking and rolling on the Atlantic

Comrades, it's been a few weeks since we left port in Amsterdam, and life on board has settled into a relatively quiet but rocky transit to the Arctic waters off Greenland. The North Atlantic in springtime tends to be a rough ocean, with cold winds and high seas making life difficult for mariners. Our ship, the Arctic Sunrise is an ice-class vessel with a round hull and no keels - which means that it rolls and pitches like a piece of cork on the water - and has been aptly nicknamed 'the washing machine' for obvious reasons. 


Despite some rocky days at sea, life has settled into a routine. There is lots to be done, prepared and finished, and our crew has worked overtime to get the Arctic Sunrise ready for action. Greenpeace is here to protest Cairn Energy's plans to drill for oil in the Arctic waters of Baffin Bay - drilling in such sea depths this far north has never been tried before and poses obvious risks to the environment. To date, Cairn has not released details of their spill prevention and clean-up plans in case disaster strikes. Following last year's BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, those concerns feel more than justified.


At least we have now found the Leiv Eiriksson, the rig chartered by Cairn Energy that will do most of the drilling in the iceberg-strewn seas between Canada and Greenland. It is the size of a small cathedral, but in this large ocean little more than a needle in a haystack. The old, proverbial David against Goliath scenario appears to be in the making, so stay tuned for future updates.

Tarnished Earth Exhibition moves to Brighton

The Tarnished Earth exhibition with my photos from the Canadian  tarsands will be on public view in Brighton from May 11th. More details here. There is a nice accompanying article in The Brighton Magazine. Enjoy the read!

Just married...

In a funny sort of way, covering the Royal Wedding is a bit like bad sex: you spend so much time preparing, getting ready, finding your positions, and then it's all over in a few seconds. This somewhat crude analogy applies equally to taking pictures at the public spectacle of Prince William and Kate Middleton's Big Day. Forget obtaining accreditation for a space outside Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, on the tribunes along the procession route, or any other fixed position, as a freelancer you might as well forget any of those altogether.

So I went scouting the previous days, checked access through barriers in the cordons surrounding the procession route, picked my spot, turned up early, and yet the crowds had already gathered long before me. Predictable, really. I inched my way in, as close to a barrier at The Mall as I could get, mounted a camera on my monopod, attached a remote release, held it a good two metres above me, pointed slightly downwards and fired a few frames.

The arrival and passing of the newly-wed couple was discernible by the volume of cheers and the direction of heads turning in the crowd. My camera on the pole followed, clicking away and I came up with a good image shot from a position well away from the royals. Since this event resembles a media overkill of hitherto unknown proportions, I simply didn't try competing with the wires - all you have is a few seconds as the carriage rolls past, and the rest is feature work.

Sergej Bubka

There was no special occasion for this interview, other than that he was in town and happy to talk to press. Sergej Bubka, multiple pole vault record holder was friendly and approachable and gave off this air of a relaxed, yet professional sportsman who has done far too many interviews during the course of his career. His humble manner, lively expressions and gestures made shooting the interview a pleasure. Although he has retrired from competition athletics 10 years ago, his records still remain in place today. Bubka won 6 consecutive IAAF World Championships, an Olympics gold and broke the world record for men's pole vaulting 35 times. Enjoy a few moments of it here:

Notting Hill colours

After yet another prolonged absence from London, I have taken last weekend's sunny weather to re-acquaint myself with the area I live in: Portobello and Notting Hill in West London. It was Sunday, a day to laze about, wander aimlessly and sip coffees in laid-back cafes away from the tourist crowds.

I met up with a friend and off we went exploring the backstreets around Portobello Market leading up to Westbourne Grove and Notting Hill. When trying to describe the area, the word that kept sticking in my mind was 'leafy': Although there is no particular abundance of trees in West London, the size of the houses, their colourful facades and geometric arrangements somehow suggested this air of wealth surrounding them. Armed only with a small GPS tracker and my trusty G10, I captured our little trip here:

At the EU Parliament

Wednesday marked another high point for the Tarnished Earth exhibition. It was officially inaugurated by its sponsors, the Co-Operative, in conjunction with project partners Greenpeace, WWF, Transport & Environment and Friends of the Earth. Seeing the larger-than-life panels displayed prominently across the plaza in front of the EU parliament's main entrance is humbling: who would have thought that what started as a media tour to Alberta in 2007 would end up being seen by Europe's decision makers four years later?

Needless to say I am chuffed. Moreover, the MEPs present applauded the initiative and took their time viewing these rather negative images of the tarsands industry in northern Canada. Now we hope that this exhibition will result in successfully influencing opinion of EU lawmakers to keep the tarsands out of European fuel imports.